Fuel-feeding device



Nov. 23, 1926. 1,607,698

V. A. SEARLES FUEL FEEDING DEVI GE Filed Sept. 4. 1923 Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES lATENT OFFICE.

VOLNEY A. SEARLES, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO STEWART-WARNER SEPEEDOMETER CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIR GINIA.

FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE.

Application filed September 4, 1923.

This invention relates to certain improvements in liquid feeding devices for use par ticularly in supplying liquid fuel to internal combustion engines of automobiles and the like, in connection with which it is very often desirable to have the primary fuel tank carried on the vehicle at a level below the carburetor.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of comparatively simple construction and capable of efficient automatic operation, with particular relation to the construction of the vacuum tank portions thereof, to which the liquid fuel is elevated as by suction produced by the engine-and intermittently discharged therefrom, to be fed by gravity to a vaporizing device, as for instance, to the float chamber of a commercial carburetor.

A further object relates to the particular construction of the valves and their supporting and operating means by which the automatic operation of the device is effected. Other objects and advantages relate to the details of construction of the device, all as will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the vacuum tank apparatus.

Figure 2 is an elevation of thevalve controlling the suction and atmospheric lines.

The apparatus, as shown, consists of a tank 1-, divided by a partition wall -2 into an upper chamber -3 and a lower chamber -4-. The liquid fuel is adapted to be drawn into the upper chamber by means of vacuum produced therein in any suitable manner, and is intermittently discharged therefrom into the lower chamber -4: from which the liquid fuel may be fed by gravity, as through outlet -5 to any suitable consuming device. as the carburetor of an ordinary combustion engine.

To accomplish this end, the upper chamber is provided with a liquid inlet pipe 6, adapted to be in communication with any suitable source of supply, as the ordinary low level tank carried upon the automobile. There is further provided for the upper chamber an atmospheric port 7 and a vacuum l1ne or connection 8 lead- 7 ing to any suitable source of vacuum or suction, asthe manifold of the internal come Serial No. 661,319.

leading through the valve casing 10 and opening into the chamber 3. In the same position of the valve, the suction line 18- is in communication with cylinder 13 formed in connection with the partitlon wall 2 and having arranged within it a piston 14 adapted to be actuated by suction and gravity. The communication between cylinder 13 and the vacuum line 8 is through the passageway --15 in the rotary valve. --9 and the tube -16 which connects the valve casing with the cylinder 13. In this position of valve 9, the upper chamber 3 is unconnected with the vacuum line 8, and the upwardly opening valve -17 controlling the passageway 18 between the upper chamber 3- and the lower chamber l-, is opened, by reason of the fact that piston -ll has been raised by the suction produced in cylinder -13 so as to elevate the valve 17- against the action of the spring l9, this operation being effected through the piston rod 20 and link 21 pivoted at 22 upon bracket 23 which may be secured to the partition wall -2.

The link 21 carries the valve -17- by means of supporting arm 24 which may be pivotally connected to line 21 and rigidly connected to the valve 17 in any suitable manner.

The spring preferably surrounds the arm 24. and is confined between the stop plate -25- and the transverse bar -26- formed in connection with valve seat 27 and extending across the opening between the chamber 3 and the chamber 4 and having a vertical opening for the passage of the arm 2 l. As shown, in Figure 2, the rotary valve 9-- has. a disk 28 formed on the outer end of its stem, such disk carrying a pair of spaced projections 29 and 30- with which the float arm 31 is adapted to contact when it approaches its upper and lower limits of movement respectively. This float stem -31- is pivotally mounted on the outer end of the valve stem 32 so as to freely move about the valve stem without movement of the valve until contact of said float stem 31- with either the projection 29 or the projection dependent whether the chamber -3 is filling or emptying, in aceordance with the position of the valve.

It will be understood, therefore, that the valve remains in stationary condition during all intermediate movements of the float stem, and only at substantially the upper limit of movement of said stem is the valve 9 rotated by contact of the stem with the projection -29, and only at practically the limit of its lower movement is the valve rotated to bring the chamber -3 into communication with the suction and shut-oft communication with the atmosphere by contact of the float stem 31 with the proj ection 30.

It will be seen that when the float assumes its downward position wherethe stem 31 contacts with projection 30-, as indicated in dotted lines, Figure 1, the valve is then rotated to a position where the transverse passageway 11 brings the atmospheric port --7 into communication witlr the cylinder 13- through the pipe 16 and at the same time brings the angular passageway15mto communication with the suction line 8' and the passageway 38 leading to the chamber 3, so that vacuum will be produced therein. At that time the valve -l 7 is closed by spring 19', the piston -1lbeing free to drop by reason of the atmospheric pressure existing in,

the pipe -16 and cylinder 13 V The spring l9 should be of sufficient strength to overcome the forceof the VLCUUDT13I0- duced in the chamber 3-. The chamber et is maintained at all times at atmospheric pressure by means of vent pipe which may, as shown, penetrate the partition 2 and the cover of the upper chamber 3.

The operation of the structureis such that the spring 19- is of suflicient strength to close the valve when the piston 14 is free to move, due to the presence of atmospheric pressure in the pipe 16 and that when the pipe 16- is brought into communication with the suction line 8, the force of the vacuum is suliicientto elevate the piston 14 against the action of spring l9 and open valve17 topermit the free discharge of the liquid fuel from the chamber -3- into the chamber Although I have shown and described a specific construction and method of operation as illustrative ot a perhaps preferred en'ibodiment of my invention. I do not de sire to limit myself to the details of construction or operation of the device, as various changes, modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In combination with apumping chamber adapted to be filled with liquid, a receiving chamber for liquid communicating with the pumping chamber, a valve controlling said comn'iunication arranged to open inwardly with respect to said pumping chamber, whereby the head of liquid in the chamber tends to hold the valve closed, and a suction operated motor for opening said valve in opposition to the head of liquid.

2. In combination with apumping chamher and means for applying suction thereto for filling the chamber wit-h liquid, a receiving chamber for the liquid communicating with the pumping chamber, a valve controlling said communication arranged to open inwardly with respect to the pumping chamher, a spring associated with said valve for yieldingly holding the valve closed in opposition to suction in the pumping chamber, and a suction operated no tor for opening the valve in opposition to said spring.

3. In combination, a pumping chamber adapted to be filled with liquid by suction, an outlet for such liquid, a valve controlling the outlet arranged to open inwardly with respect to the chamber, a spring yieldingly holding the valve seated, a suction operated motor, and power nultiplying means by which said motor is connected to the valve for opening it in opposition to the spring.

l. In a device of the class described, a chamber having an atmospheric connection anda suction connection, a rotary valve controlling both of said connections, a float in said'chamber and means actuated by the float at substantially the limits of upper and lower movement for rotating said valve to the desired respective positions, a lower chamber, means of communication between said chambers, a valve controlling said communication, and suction actuated means for moving said valve toropen position.

5. In a device of the class described, a chamber having an atmospheric connection and suction connection, a rotary valve controlling both of said connections, a float in said chamber and means actuated by the float at substantially the limits of upper and lower movement for rotating said valve to the desired respective positions, a lower chamber, means of communication between said chambers, a valve controlling said communication, suction-actuated means for moving said valve to open position, and spring means for closing said valve. I

6. In a device of the class described, an upper chamber having an atmospheric connection and a suction connection; a lower chamber With means of communication between said chambers, a valve controlling said communication; suction actuated means for moving said valve to open position and a valve device controlling the atmospheric and suction connections ofthe upper chamber, together with a float in said upper chamber for operating said valve device at substantially the limits of its upper and lower 10 movement, said valve device being arranged to shift the suction from the upper chamber to the suction actuated means for opening communication With the lower chamber.

7. In the combination defined in claim 6, said valve device being also adapted to simultaneously open the atmospheric connection to the upper chamber when cutting oil the suction therefrom.

VOLNEY A. SEARLES. 

